FIRST SERVE

Queue up your favorite road trip movie, download an audio book, or blast some tunes, because the Portland State volleyball team is going up on one last, epic road trip this season. The Vikings will finish their season with six of their final seven matches at home, but before they get there, they'll play at Montana, Montana State and Sacramento State in a span of five days.
 
The first two legs of that trip come Thursday and Saturday, as the Vikings travel to the Montana schools this weekend.
 
The Vikings couldn't have asked for a better lead-in to the road trip than what they've gotten the past few weekends. The Vikings head into Thursday having won five straight matches, including a 3-1, comeback win over a historically troublesome Northern Arizona team last Saturday. The Vikings' win over the Lumberjacks was just their third in their last 17 meetings with NAU, and broke a tie between the two teams within the Big Sky standings. The Vikings moved into a tie for second in the conference with the win, as they now rank tied with Northern Colorado at 5-1 in Big Sky play.
 
A lot of that 5-1 record has come on the road, too, which should set the Vikings up well for more road matches this weekend. The Vikings split their matches against Weber State and Idaho State, losing to the defending champions in the Wildcats before beating the Bengals, 3-1. The Vikings then swept Idaho and Eastern Washington for their first Big Sky road weekend sweep since 2017.
 
So, playing on the road hasn't seemed to faze this Viking team. Nothing seems to faze them, something head coach Michael Seemann commented on after the Vikings' comeback win over Northern Arizona. The Vikings played out of sorts in the first set of that match, hitting .000 with 11 attack errors as the Lumberjacks took the early lead. Unbothered, the Vikings came back to hit .500 with 17 kills in the second set, which righted the ship and carried them the rest of the way.
 
The comeback against Northern Arizona was a continuation of what the Vikings have done this season. Last Saturday marked the fifth time the Vikings have come back to win after dropping the opening set of a match. Besides Saturday, the Vikings came back against Idaho State in Big Sky play on Sept. 25, and did it three times in non-conference play between their matches against Santa Clara (Aug. 28), Grand Canyon (Sept. 10) and North Dakota State (Sept. 18).
 
Defense has been a key part of the Vikings' ability to come back this season. The offensive turnaround in the second set last Saturday may have started the comeback against NAU, but defense finished the job. Junior libero Ellie Snook recorded 11 of her match-high 25 digs in the third set, as the Vikings came back from an early 12-6 deficit to take a crucial 2-1 lead in the match. The Vikings held the Lumberjacks to .151 hitting in the third set, then held them to only nine kills on .125 hitting as they closed them out in the fourth.
 
Snook was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week Monday, for her efforts, the third time in the past five weeks that she has earned the honor. Genevieve Florig also earned the honor one of the weeks Snook missed it, giving the Vikings four of the last five Big Sky Defensive Players of the Week.
 
It's no surprise, then, that the Vikings took over the Big Sky lead in opponent hitting percentage after last weekend, as they've held opponents to .185 hitting this season. Eight of the Vikings' last nine opponents have failed to hit over .200, and the Vikings have won all eight of those matches. Additionally, the Vikings have maintained a consistent lead in digs per set, as they average 16.9 as a team.
 
Snook leads the Big Sky by a healthy margin individually, as she stands at 5.42 digs per set after last weekend. That's an average that also ranks her eighth in the nation, and isn't far off the single-season school record she set at 5.47 d/s as a freshman. The closest player to Snook within the conference ranks more than a full dig per set behind her at 4.31.
 
The Vikings will face that player Thursday in Montana's Sarina Moreno, who leads the Grizzlies defensively.
 
Montana comes into the weekend having split their road trip to Idaho and Eastern Washington last weekend, which snapped an 0-4 start to Big Sky play for the Grizzlies. Montana beat Idaho in straight sets last Thursday, and had opportunities to beat Eastern Washington two days later, but fell in five sets on the road.
 
Statistically, Montana ranks well offensively, coming in fifth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.210), as well as fourth in both kills per set (12.3) and assists per set (11.2). The Grizzlies have struggled to stop opposing offenses, however, as even though they rank fifth in the conference in both blocks per set (2.08) and digs per set (14.0), they rank 10th in opponent hitting percentage with teams hitting .239 against them.
 
Saturday's opponent, Montana State, hasn't had the same problem, as the Bobcats come into the weekend as an elite blocking team. They rank second in the Big Sky and 54th nationally with 2.43 blocks per set. Individually, Emma Pence leads the Big Sky by a wide margin while also ranking 16th in the nation with 1.39 blocks per set. Jordan Radick has joined Pence in the Big Sky top 10, coming in seventh with 1.05 blocks per set.
 
It's been a while since the Vikings beat either Montana team in its home gym. The Vikings haven't won in Missoula since 2016, while 2017 was the last time the Vikings have won in Bozeman. But this is a different Viking team. They're unfazed when they lose a first set, they're unfazed when they play on the road, and Viking fans can be assured they'll be unfazed over their three-match road trip, which comes in a five-day flurry starting Thursday.
 

MATCH #1: PORTLAND STATE (11-6, 5-1) vs. MONTANA (6-10, 1-5)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. PT, Missoula, Mont. (Dahlberg Arena)
SCOUTING MONTANA: The Montana Grizzlies snapped a four-match losing streak to open Big Sky play with a 3-0 sweep on the road against Idaho last Thursday. The Griz then were two points away from a 2-0 lead over Eastern Washington last Saturday, but ended up losing the second set, 27-25, and the match, 3-2. The Griz went 5-5 in non-conference play, including a 3-0 sweep of the UND Classic, Sept. 10-12. Montana beat Green Bay and Drake, both in five sets, to open the tournament, then closed it out with a 3-0 sweep of host North Dakota. Statistically, Montana ranks well offensively, coming in fifth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.210), as well as fourth in both kills per set (12.3) and assists per set (11.2). Defensively, the Grizzlies rank fifth in both blocks per set (2.08) and digs per set (14.0), though teams have still hit .239 against them as they rank 10th in the conference for opponent hitting percentage. Individually, the Grizzlies have two players in the top 10 of the Big Sky for hitting percentage, as Ellie Scherffius and Catie Semadeni rank third and seventh at .319 and .284, respectively. Those two also rank second and third on the team in terms of kills, as Semadeni averages 2.19 kills per set, while Scherffius stands at 1.95. Peyten Boutwell leads the team with 2.26 kills per set, while she ranks tied with the Vikings' Genevieve Florig for eighth in the Big Sky with 1.03 blocks per set. Carly Anderson guides the Montana offense, as she ranks second in the Big Sky with 9.18 assists per set. Libero Sarina Moreno also ranks second in the Big Sky with 4.31 digs per set, as she trails only the Vikings' Ellie Snook.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Grizzlies, 53-18. It's been a while since the Vikings won in Missoula, however, as the Grizzlies have beaten them during each of their last two road trips. The Vikings' last road win over the Grizzlies came on Nov. 3, 2016, when the Vikings swept the Grizzlies, 3-0. 
 

MATCH #2: PORTLAND STATE (11-6, 5-1) vs. MONTANA STATE (8-9, 4-2)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT, Bozeman, Mont. (Shroyer Gym)
SCOUTING MONTANA STATE: The Montana State Bobcats have won three matches in a row after dropping back-to-back matches against preseason conference favorites Northern Colorado and Weber State. The Bobcats lost in three sets to Northern Colorado on Sept. 25, but pushed defending Big Sky champion Weber State to five sets before falling on Sept. 30. The Bobcats also pushed then-No. 7 Montana State to five sets in a match in Seattle during their non-conference schedule on Sept. 16. The Bobcats played two non-conference opponents the Vikings also faced in Long Beach State and Portland. Both Portland State and Montana State lost to Long Beach State (the Vikings in three sets, the Bobcats in five), while the Vikings beat Portland, 3-1, on Sept. 9, while the Bobcats fell in four sets at home on Sept. 3. Statistically, the Bobcats are an elite blocking team, as they rank second in the Big Sky and 54th nationally with 2.43 blocks per set. Individually, Emma Pence leads the Big Sky by a wide margin while also ranking 16th in the nation with 1.39 blocks per set. Jordan Radick has joined Pence in the top 10 of the Big Sky at seventh with 1.05 blocks per set. Radick also ranks 10th in the league for hitting percentage at .272. Offensively, the Bobcats rank third in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.215), while standing fifth in assists per set (11.1) and sixth in kills per set (12.0). Hannah Scott leads the Bobcats individually, as she ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 3.02 kills per set. Kira Thomsen ranks second on the team with 2.82 kills per set, while no other player averages more than 1.80 kills per set. The Bobcats have split duties among their setters, as Audrey Hofer, Allie Lynch and Delaney Shearan average 5.13, 4.66 and 4.56 assists per set, respectively. Maci Abshier leads the Bobcats in the back, as she ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 3.31 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Bobcats, 44-24-1. The Bobcats have won four of their last five against the Vikings, however, including the teams' last three meetings in Bozeman. The Vikings last beat the Bobcats on the road on Sept. 28, 2017.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings have won five matches in a row, as well eight of their last nine, with the lone loss in that stretch coming against defending Big Sky champion Weber State on the road. 

• The Vikings' 5-1 start to Big Sky play is their best since the Vikings also started 5-1 in 2017. The Vikings haven't had a 6-1 start to Big Sky play since 2013, which they could match with a win over Montana Thursday. If the Vikings beat both Montana and Montana State this weekend, then their 7-1 record would mark their best start to conference play since they won 14 of their first 15 Big Sky matches in 2012. 

• The Vikings' win over Northern Arizona Saturday marked the fifth time this season that the Vikings have come back to win after dropping the opening set. The Vikings also did it against Idaho State on Sept. 25, North Dakota State on Sept. 18, Grand Canyon on Sept. 10 and Santa Clara on Aug. 28. 
• The Vikings have held eight of their last nine opponents to under .200 hitting, with the lone exception being the team's loss at Weber State. That run has catapulted the Vikings into the Big Sky lead for opponent hitting percentage at .185. Additionally, the Vikings lead the conference with 16.9 digs per set, a mark that also ranks them 25th in the nation.
• Ellie Snook was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week Monday, the third time in the past five weeks that she's earned the honor. Snook leads the Big Sky with 5.42 digs per set this season, an average that also ranks her eighth in the nation. Snook isn't far off the single-season record she set as a freshman, when she averaged 5.47 digs per set.
• Parker Webb is the only player in the Big Sky Conference to rank in the top 10 for both kills per set and hitting percentage. Webb ranks in the top five of both categories, as she stands fourth in kills per set (3.40) and fifth in hitting percentage (.298).
• Makayla Lewis ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 3.16 kills per set, and has led the Vikings in kills in five of the team's six Big Sky matches. 
• Ally Wada ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 8.34 assists per set, while she's helped lead the Viking offense to high rankings as a team. The Vikings rank second in both kills per set (12.9) and assists per set (11.9) this season. Additionally, after the Vikings ranked last in the conference with a .084 hitting percentage through their first five matches, the Vikings now rank sixth in hitting percentage at .205.
• The Vikings have played a 6-2 formation over the last two weekends with Teniyah Leuluai and Maddy Reeb coming on for Ally Wada and Parker Webb. The Vikings have averaged 14.0 kills per set on .267 hitting since going to a 6-2, with Wada and Leuluai averaging 5.69 and 5.38 assists per set, respectively. Reeb has also stepped up since the change in formation, as she's averaged 2.77 kills per set on .386 hitting over their last four matches
• Genevieve Florig ranks tied for eighth in the Big Sky with 1.03 blocks per set.
• The Vikings have more upperclassmen (10) than underclassmen (6) for the first time since 2018. It's a far cry from the team's numbers two years ago, when they had seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster. The team has three fifth-year players in Genevieve Florig, Maddy Reeb and Parker Webb.
• The Vikings added six newcomers over the offseason between three true freshmen – Morgan Halady, Teniyah Leuluai and Lily Snook – and three transfers – Genevieve Florig, Makayla Lewis and Sydney Rabe. Of the transfers, Florig came in as a grad transfer from UCONN, Lewis played two years at San Jose State, while Rabe was at UW Green Bay last year but didn't play and remains a redshirt freshman. Florig joins Zoe McBride, who transferred to the Vikings before last season, as players from the Portland area who started their careers at other Division I schools before transferring back to the region.
• Lily Snook joined her sister Ellie on the Vikings' team this season. Their father, Jamie Snook, also played men's basketball at Portland State from 1996-99. Additionally, their cousin, Jake Porter, plays for the Vikings' football team, and Jake's dad played baseball at Portland State in the 1990s.
• Maddy Reeb would have exhausted her eligibility last year, but decided to come back for a fifth year after the NCAA granted all volleyball players an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reeb split time between being a setter and an outside hitter during her first four years at Portland State, but will play exclusively on the outside this season. Reeb's versatility saw her become the first Viking since 2010 to record a triple-double last year, which she did twice during the season.

 

COMEBACK VIKS

Saturday's win over Northern Arizona exemplified the Vikings' comeback DNA. The Vikings hit .000 with 11 attack errors in the first set, as the Lumberjacks easily won the opener. The Vikings immediately turned it around in the second set, however, hitting .500 with 17 kills while taking the second set, 25-20. The Vikings then erased an early 12-6 deficit in the third set, scoring 11 of the final 14 points to take a crucial 2-1 lead in the match. The comeback – considering it came against NAU, a team that had beaten the Vikings in 14 of their previous 16 meetings before Saturday – marked a highpoint for a series of comebacks the Vikings have completed this season. Saturday's win was the fifth time this season the Vikings have come back after dropping the opening set. The Vikings also came back after dropping the opening set against Idaho State on Sept. 25. During non-conference play, the Vikings erased first-set losses to beat Santa Clara on Aug. 28, Grand Canyon on Sept. 10 and North Dakota State on Sept. 18. The Vikings also lost the second set against NDSU, as they erased an 0-2 deficit for the first time since Sept. 8, 2016. The comeback gene is a fitting part of the Vikings' DNA this season after head coach Michael Seemann introduced competition as early and as often as possible during the Vikings' fall camp in August.  
 

LEAGUE-LEADING DEFENSE

Eight of the Vikings' last nine opponents have failed to hit over .200 against them, as the Vikings have used a strong defense to fuel their recent run. The Vikings lead the Big Sky now in opponent hitting percentage, as they're holding opponents to .185 hitting on average this season. Two of the Vikings' last three opponents have failed to top .100, as the Vikings held Eastern Washington to .085 and Southern Utah to .053 on Oct. 1 and 7, respectively. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky with 16.9 digs per set, an average that also ranks them 25th in the nation. There may be no better sign of the Vikings' elite defense than the fact that they've won the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honor in four of the last five weeks. Ellie Snook has won three of those four honors, including the latest Monday, after averaging 6.00 digs per set against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Snook – last year's Big Sky Libero of the Year – leads the Big Sky with 5.42 digs per set, more than a full dig-per-set more than the No. 2-ranked played in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno at 4.31. Snook's 5.42 digs per set also rank her eighth in the NCAA this season. Three other regular starters average at least 2.25 digs per set besides Snook as Zoe McBride, Makayla Lewis and Ally Wada average 2.65, 2.55 and 2.32 d/s, respectively. At the net, Genevieve Florig leads the Vikings while standing tied for eighth in the conference with 1.03 blocks per set. 
 

DEPTH AT THE PINS

The Vikings beat Southern Utah comfortably Thursday despite Parker Webb and Makayla Lewis combining for only three kills through the first two sets of the team's three-set sweep. The reason for that? Depth. Maddy Reeb stepped up to lead the Vikings, recording eight kills on her first 10 swings before finishing with 10 kills on .471 hitting. Saturday's match against Northern Arizona also showed the Vikings' depth, as five different players totaled at least eight kills in the same match for the first time this season. Lewis and Webb led the way with 15 and 13 kills, respectively, while middle blocker Genevieve Florig joined them in double figures with a season-high 10 kills on .350 hitting. Overall this season, Webb ranks as the only player in the Big Sky to rank in the top 10 of the conference for both kills and hitting percentage. Webb stands fourth with 3.40 kills per set, while she ranks fifth in hitting percentage at .298. Lewis, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 3.16 kills per set, and has led the Vikings in kills in five of the team's six Big Sky matches. Besides Webb, Lewis and Reeb, Zoe McBride and Gabby Hollins have also had standout matches for the Viking offense. Hollins came off the bench to record eight kills and 11 digs in the final three sets of Saturday's win over Northern Arizona. McBride, meanwhile, was at her efficient best in the Vikings' win over Idaho, where she helped lead the Vikings to .398 hitting as a team – their best hitting percentage in a match since 2016. McBride hit .579 with 11 kills on 19 swings to go with 12 digs against Idaho. Overall, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky in both kills per set (12.9) and assists per set (11.9) this season. Additionally, after they started the year ranked last in the Big Sky with a .084 hitting percentage over their first five matches, the Vikings now rank sixth in the conference at .205 as a team.
 

FORMATION CHANGE

The Vikings started the season in a 5-1, but have switched to a 6-2 since the start of the Vikings' match against Idaho on Sept. 30. Teniyah Leuluai and Maddy Reeb have come on in spell of Ally Wada and Parker Webb, respectively, and both have played well while the team has adjusted well. Since switching to a 6-2, the Vikings are averaging 14.0 kills and 12.62 assists per set while they're hitting .267. Wada and Leuluai have split the assists almost evenly, as Wada averages 5.69 while Leuluai's at 5.38 assists per set. Reeb has also emerged as an efficient force for the Vikings, as she's averaged 2.77 kills per set on .386 hitting since the switch. Reeb, Webb and Makayla Lewis have all averaged at least 2.5 kills per set or more since the formation change. Lewis has led the team with 3.23 kills per set on .213 hitting since the change, while Webb has averaged 2.69 kills per set on .366 hitting.
 

ELLIE SNOOK STANDS ALONE

Ellie Snook joined elite company within the Viking program when she was named the Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year last season. Snook wrote her name next to Kasimira Clark (2012, 2013) and Tasha Bojanic (2017) as fellow honorees, giving the Vikings' program four recipients over the past nine seasons. But within this season, Snook remains in a company by herself as she holds a commanding lead within the Big Sky Conference for digs per set. Snook averages 5.42 digs per set, more than a full dig per set better than the No. 2-ranked player in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno at 4.31. Snook's been on a particularly strong run over the past five weeks, and the fact that the Vikings have won 10 of their 12 matches during that span is no coincidence. Snook has won three of the past five Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors, with the latest coming Monday following a weekend in which she averaged 6.00 digs per set against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Snook's big weekend moved her into the top 10 of the NCAA this season, as she now ranks eighth nationally in digs per set. Snook could approach her own single-season school record if she keeps playing like she has been, as she's not far off the record of 5.47 digs per set she set as a freshman in 2019.
 

MAKAYLA LEWIS, FROM SPARTAN TO VIKING

A transfer from San Jose State before the season, Makayla Lewis has made a seamless transition from being a Spartan to a Viking. Lewis averaged over four kills a set during the first two weekends of Big Sky play, and has led the Vikings in kills in five of their six Big Sky matches so far. Lewis leads the team with an average of 3.62 kills per set in Big Sky matches, when she's also been averaging 2.86 digs per set. Lewis helped lead the Vikings to their best team hitting percentage since 2016 in their match against Idaho, as she recorded a match-high 14 kills on .333 hitting while the Vikings hit .398 as a team. Lewis' emergence has coincided with the Vikings' turn of fortune over the past five weeks. Lewis has averaged 3.46 kills, 2.78 digs, 0.35 blocks and 0.26 aces per set as the Vikings have won 10 of their last 12 matches since the start of the PDX Classic on Sept. 9. Lewis' best match this season came in the Vikings' five-set win over previously unbeaten Grand Canyon on Sept. 10. Lewis set a career high with 25 kills in that match, as she hit .302 while adding 12 digs. Lewis also had 19 kills on .333 hitting in the Vikings' four-set win over cross-town rival University of Portland on Sept. 9.
 

WEBB SLINGER

With apologies to Peter Parker, the Spider-Verse doesn't appeal to us nearly as much as the Parker Webb-Verse. And since the start of the PDX Classic on Sept. 9, it appears we've all been in the Parker Webb-verse as the veteran right side has dominated for the Vikings. Since the Vikings' match against cross-town rival University of Portland, Webb has averaged 3.63 kills per set on .331 hitting to go with 1.83 digs, 0.59 blocks and 0.30 aces per set over the team's last 12 matches. Webb has 10 matches with at least 10 kills since the match against UP and has hit .300 or better in all but one of those matches. Webb showcased a new level for herself at the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown from Sept. 17-19. There, Webb averaged 4.67 kills, 2.33 digs, 0.92 blocks, 0.42 aces and 5.58 points per set while hitting .385. Those numbers earned her Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors, the second time in her career she has been so honored. Additionally, Webb's been at her best in the Vikings' two five-set wins this season. Webb helped the Vikings hand Grand Canyon its first loss of the season on Sept. 10, recording 22 kills on .383 hitting to go with 14 digs. Webb then topped that with 23 kills on .360 hitting and 15 digs in the Vikings' five-set win over North Dakota State on Sept. 18, a match in which the Vikings erased an 0-2 deficit for the first time since 2016. Overall, Webb's efficiency coupled with her production means she's the only player in the Big Sky to rank in the conference's top 10 for both kills per set and hitting percentage. Webb ranks highly in both categories, too, as she stands fourth in kills per set (3.40) and fifth in hitting percentage (.298).
 

A WHOLE LOTTA WADA

Senior Ally Wada has been a walking double-double since arriving in Portland from San Francisco before last season. Wada had 11 double-doubles in 17 matches last season, and added her eighth of this season with 26 assists and 12 digs in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Northern Arizona Saturday. Double-double career records at Portland State only date back to 2005, but Wada pushed former Viking Caitlin Bettenay (2016-17) out of the career top 10 with her 19th career double-double Saturday. Seven of Wada's eight double-doubles this season have come in the Vikings' last 12 matches as she's helped the Viking offense turn a corner after a rough start to the season. Behind Wada, the Vikings have hit .229 or better in all but two of their previous 12 matches. That's a stark contrast to how the Vikings started the year, as they ranked last in the Big Sky while hitting just .084 through their first five matches. Wada's best match came in the Vikings' five-set win over Grand Canyon on Sept. 10. Wada set a new career high with 62 assists against the Lopes, 11 of which came as the Vikings recorded 14 kills in the fifth set. Wada now ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 8.34 assists per set for the season, while she's helped the Vikings jump to second in the conference in both kills per set (12.9) and assists per set (11.9).
 

NO LONGER A MCBRIDESMAID, NOW A MCBRIDE

At the PDX Classic on Sept. 9-11, Zoe McBride recorded only one kill in seven sets, as she played sparingly due to lack of production. Head coach Michael Seemann said McBride did not accept that of herself, however, and responded with a great week of practice in the week that followed. She hasn't looked back sense. In the very next weekend after the PDX Classic, McBride recorded three straight double-doubles as the Vikings went 3-0 at their home tournament, the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown. Then against Idaho on Sept. 30, McBride put together her most efficient match of the season to date while leading the Vikings to a three-set sweep of the Vandals. McBride totaled 11 kills on 19 swings without committing an attack error, giving her a .579 hitting percentage. McBride also put together a big match in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Gonzaga on Sept. 19, when she set season highs for kills (15) and digs (19).
 

YOUNG NO MORE

The Vikings have more upperclassmen (10) than underclassmen (6) this season for the first time since 2018. The team has been developing its young players over the past two seasons, and now has as many fifth-year seniors (3 – Genevieve Florig, Maddy Reeb, Parker Webb) as they do true freshmen (3 – Morgan Halady, Teniyah Leuluai, Lily Snook). It's a far cry from where the Vikings' roster was two years ago, when the team featured seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster.
 

DIVISION I TRANSFERS

The Vikings have added six Division I transfers in the past two seasons. Zoe McBride (Morgan State), Megan Sester (Cal Baptist) and Ally Wada (San Francisco) joined the Vikings before last season, while Genevieve Florig (UCONN), Makayla Lewis (San Jose State) and Sydney Rabe (UW Green Bay) joined the Vikings before this season. McBride and Wada finished with four and 11 double-doubles, respectively, in the team's shortened 2021 winter season. Lewis, meanwhile, was the only Viking to finish with at least eight kills, four blocks and 10 digs in the team's 5-0 exhibition win over Central Washington Monday.
 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings to finish sixth in the conference before the season. If that were to come to fruition, it would mark the Vikings' highest finish within the conference since 2017, when they placed fourth. A sixth-place finish in the Big Sky would also see the Vikings return to the Big Sky tournament for the first time since 2017, when they made it to the conference semifinals before losing to regular-season champion and host Sacramento State.
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Oct. 9, 2021, Portland State 3, Northern Arizona 1: The Vikings erased a first-set loss to come back and win for the fifth time this season. The fact that it came against NAU, a team that had beaten the Vikings in 14 of their previous 16 meetings, made it all the more impressive.
Oct. 7, 2021, Portland State 3, Southern Utah 0: A third straight sweep extended the Vikings' streak of set victories to 12, going back to the second set against Idaho State on Sept. 25.
Oct. 1, 2021, Portland State 3, Eastern Washington 0: The Vikings completed their first Big Sky road sweep since 2017 with a 3-0 sweep of Eastern Washington. 
Sept. 30, 2021, Portland State 3, Idaho 0: The Vikings hit .398 for their best hitting percentage in a match since they hit .432 in a three-set win over Montana State on Sept. 29, 2016. Three different players recorded at least 10 kills while also hitting over .333. Zoe McBride and Maddy Reeb totaled 11 and 10 kills, respectively, while both hit north of .500 at .579 and .529.
Sept. 25, 2021, Portland State 3, Idaho State 1: The Vikings overcame a first-set loss to beat the Bengals in four sets. Out of seven wins so far this season, four have come in matches where the Vikings dropped the opening set.
Sept. 19, 2021, Portland State 3, Gonzaga 1: The Vikings overcame late deficits in the first and third sets to beat the Zags in four. The Vikings trailed by at least five points in every set that they won. The Vikings won 11 of the final 15 points in the first set after falling behind 19-14. The Vikings then won 12 of the final 14 points in the third set after trailing 21-13. In the fourth set, the Vikings won 16 of the final 20 points to run away with it after Gonzaga led 10-5 early. 
Sept. 18, 2021, Portland State 3, North Dakota State 2: The Vikings overcame an 0-2 deficit while reverse sweeping the Bison to win in five sets. It was the first time the Vikings have come back to win after losing the first two sets since doing it against Utah State on Sept. 8, 2016.
Sept. 17, 2021, Portland State 3, North Dakota State 0: The Vikings hit a seasonal-best .312 against the Bison, who came into the match having won four straight, including a 3-1 win over Cal out of the Pac-12. The Vikings hadn't topped .300 hitting in a match since their 2019 season opener.
Sept. 10, 2021, Portland State 3, Grand Canyon 2: The Vikings handed Grand Canyon, which entered the match 7-0, its first loss of the season while winning in five sets. Makayla Lewis and Parker Webb became the first Viking teammates to record 20+ kills in the same match since Pati Anae and Eva Linden each had 21 kills against Montana State on Oct. 24, 2015. Those two were also part of four Vikings who finished with double-doubles in the match, only the second time that's happened since 2010, and the first time since 2019.
Sept. 9, 2021, Portland State 3, Portland 1: The Vikings beat their cross-town rival in the Pilots, breaking open a match that had been tied 1-1 and 14-all in the third set. The Vikings won 11 of the final 14 points of the third set, then dominated the fourth set, 25-7. 
Aug. 28, 2021, Portland State 3, Santa Clara 1: Ellie Snook set a new four-set career high with 30 digs as the Vikings overcame a first-set loss to beat the Broncos in four sets. Snook had 14 digs in the crucial third set alone. Ally Wada was named to the Oregon Invitational All-Tournament Team after she finished with 33 assists and 17 digs in the match.